ROL: Cubs Hire Theo Epstein.

ROL (Return on Life) is a qualitative metric modeled on the quantitative metric, ROI (return on investment). The concept behind ROL is to make small incremental changes in habits that generate a disproportionately greater increase in QOL (Quality of Life).

An Introduction.

If you find the world of professional sports as exciting as a collection of belly button lint, you may want to stop reading now. I'm going to be talking baseball. I will eventually get on to other stuff, but I'm starting with baseball. Forewarned is well...forewarned.

Source: Wikipedia

I have a confession. I am a lifelong Cubs fan. Being a Cubs fan involves more disappointment, frustration and embarrassment than and and all the jokes about being a Cubs fan, but according to the news on Wednesday all that disappointment, frustration and embarrassment may be coming to an end. The Cubs are going to hire Theo Epstein, formerly of the Red Sox, as their baseball sherpa. Epstein's mission is to lead the Cubs up baseball's Everest and deliver Cub fans a World Series victory.

Anyone Can Have 
A Bad Century.

Both the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox shared one major distinction for the majority of the 20th century.  Neither team had won the World Series since the end of World War I. Legend has it that both team's World Series droughts were due to a curse.

• The Red Sox had the curse of the Bambino. Before the 1920 season  the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth, baseball's best pitcher to the New York Yankees. Ruth became the greatest home run hitter baseball has ever seen. The Yankees won a bunch of World Series. The Red Sox had to wait until 2004.
• The Cubs have the curse of the billy goat. During the 1945 World Series versus Detroit, Sam Sianis (owner of the Billy Goat Tavern and the billy goat in question) was asked to take his goat and go home, because the goat smelled awful. (I've been in the bleachers in Wrigley Field. The goat gets a bum rap on the smell thing). Sianis, angry due to the eviction, said "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more." The Cubs haven't been to the World Series since.

The Red Sox, cursed due to selling the contract of the eventual greatest baseball player ever. The Cubs, cursed due to the eviction of a future victim of Santeria. Did I mention disappointment, frustration and embarrassment?

Source: Wikipedia

The Red Sox made Theo Epstein General Manager before the 2003 season. The team broke the curse of the Bambino by winning the World Series in 2004. Epstein's baseball acumen regarding key player acquisitions is largely credited with the Red Sox exorcising the baggage associated with jettisoning Babe Ruth. Therefore, Epstein is considered a primary requisite to break the longest running losing streak in professional sports.

Who Doesn't Need An Epstein?

If you watch TV, listen to the radio or pay attention to annoying pop-up ads, everyone is pitching a Theo Epstein. Virility, diet, investing, residual income, complexion and even house cleaning has a one item magic answer. (Anyone have a Roomba?) But Theo Epstein didn't become Theo Epstein by magic. Epstein got a degree from Yale and started at the bottom rung, the PR department of the San Diego Padres. He worked hard, learned his craft and eventually had a hand in the Boston Red Sox winning 2 World Series. In addition to hard work, Epstein is also a success because he is willing to make a tough choice and perhaps be wrong. (Anyone remember John Lackey? Maybe he's selling Roomba's.) So hard work, dedication, discipline and more hard work leads to magic. Go figure.

Note: As I prepare to publish this post, the Cubs have yet to set a press conference to announce the hiring of Theo Epstein. Did I mention disappointment, frustration and embarrassment?

ROL: You Can and Should Take It With You.

ROL is an abbreviation for Return on Life. Return on Life is all about making small incremental changes that yield large returns on life enjoyment. This week's ROL is about planning for the expected.

Have you ever been to the DMV and waited 45 minutes while 3 clerks came back from break, 4 clerks went on break and no one appeared to know how to load paper in the one special printer that is assigned to print the document you need to get on about your day? Have you ever waited over an hour for your doctor, dentist, optometrist? Seems Doc is running just a bit late and the magazines seem to be stuck in the 80's. You never know when these situations will occur, you only know that these situations are bound to happen.  Boredom fuels frustration which in turn fuels stress, even though you know this waiting game is going to happen from time to time. How do you beat it? Simple. Take something with you. Load an app to your smartphone that can keep you engaged for an hour. Better yet, go old school. Bring along a book or puzzle book and a pencil. I bring my Sudoku book more places than I take my family. Remember, you can't control how others run their schedule but you can manage your reaction.

What about you? Do you have any ready plan for occupying time while you wait (and wait and wait) for an appointment?

ROL: Drink Up!

ROL (Return on Life) is about making simple and/or incremental changes that have major returns for a better life. Last week's ROL was about drinking more water. This week's ROL is about drinking with gusto.

The quote, "The optimist sees the glass as half full and the pessimist sees the glass as half empty" has generated a multitude of sermons, columns, variations and jokes. At it's core the 1/2 full, 1/2 empty debate is about a person's outlook: do they seek out positive or always find negative. Although I work hard at seeking the positive, sometimes I fail and find the negative. Beginning today, neither matters.

It's rare that a person's glass is either exactly 1/2 full and much rarer that the glass is completely full or totally empty. The overwhelming majority of our lives the glass is partially full/empty. Sometimes the glass is more than 1/2 full, sometimes more than 1/2 empty. Occasionally the glass is almost full, occasionally the glass is nearly empty. Now it's time to finish the quote: "The optimist sees the glass as half full, the pessimist sees the glass as half and empty and the realist drinks from the glass." Time to get real and drink up.

There are times (hopefully often) when the glass is half full. When the glass is half full, drink up and experience the joy that surrounds you. Don't wait for whatever may lie around the corner, today is the only today you or I have. Don't waste today's good for fear of tomorrow's bad.

There are also times (hopefully few) when the glass is half or nearly empty. During these challenging times, it's important to drink up also. Life isn't 100% the best of everything all the time. When you encounter anger, disappointment, frustration or pain it's important to engage these emotions. Talk, rant, cry, articulate or scream about how you are feeling. The bad is just as honest as the good. Own the crap and let the world know. It's probably the best way to minimize the bad and certainly the only way to move beyond the bad.